


to the ends of the earth

by aubrieday



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Adorable Dustin Henderson, Ben Hanscom is a Good Friend, Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier Are Best Friends, Beverly Marsh Knows Everything, Bisexual Beverly Marsh, Bisexual Bill Denbrough, Bisexual Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Bisexual Richie Tozier, Dustin Henderson Needs a Hug, Eddie Kaspbrak Loves Richie Tozier, Everyone is Gay Except Ben Hanscom, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gay, Gay Eddie Kaspbrak, Gay Stanley Uris, Gay Will Byers, Good Significant Other Lucas Sinclair, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Losers Club (IT) Friendship, M/M, Mike Hanlon is a Good Friend, On the Run, Pansexual Dustin Henderson, Pansexual Mike Hanlon, Post-First Battle with Pennywise (IT), Post-Pennywise (IT), Pre-IT Chapter Two (2019), Protective Mike Wheeler, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier and Mike Wheeler Are Twins, Richie Tozier is His Own Warning, Richie Tozier is a Little Shit, Road Trips, Running Away, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, Will Byers Deserves Love, aka me expressing my love for reddie, almost, also im so sorry but dustin is alone lmao, can you guess who aren't?, flirty reddie, nine out of thirteen of these kids are gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:29:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24472078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aubrieday/pseuds/aubrieday
Summary: Most of the losers club had bad home lives, far from fond memories of their home town, and a very scary demon clown that they had "defeated" a few years back. The morning after the battle, the losers had decided that on the day that Eddie Kaspbrak, the youngest of the losers, turned 16, they would finally run away from the shit hole that was Derry, Maine.Three years of secretly planning their departure slowly passed by. Each day the losers grew more and more restless, itching to leave the town behind and the terrible memories with it. Then finally the day, September 3rd, had come. With only a small bag each, they bid a bitter farewell to the town that they grew up in, turning and (hopefully) never looking back.Meanwhile, in Hawkins, Indiana, the party was also secretly leaving their town behind, but the similarities stopped there. The party left their town with tears, not with smirks. They left loving families, not broken ones. They left spontaneously, not with a three year plan. They left on the run from the government, not from their own memories.[or the party and the losers meet while running away]
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Beverly Marsh & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Beverly Marsh & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris, Will Byers/Bill Denbrough
Comments: 18
Kudos: 53





	1. The losers hit the road

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! First off I wanna thank anyone who is actually reading this. It really means a lot. I decided to write this because I'm so desperately in love with Stranger Things and IT crossovers. However, I've only found a couple that I actually like so I decided to write one myself. Please leave any ST and IT crossover suggestions in the comments because although I love writing, it's a lot of work and it's so much easier to just read a fic. 
> 
> For simplicity's sake, all the losers' parents are assholes. I know that in canon not all the parents are bad but just go with it.
> 
> Also sorry if there are any plot holes/ grammar errors/ spelling errors/ any other mistakes. Feel free to correct/suggest anything in the comments. 
> 
> Btw sorry if any birthdays are wrong. I tried looking up the birthdays for each character but I got confused so I just used the first one that came up lol.
> 
> THIS IS ALSO SET BEFORE ST SEASON THREE!!!! Nothing against that season but I just don't think season three would fit in with my plot.

Eddie bounced his leg and fiddled with his bag, making sure he had everything he needed. Inhaler, check. First aid kit, check. Spare clothes, check. He glanced impatiently at his watch. 2:43 a.m.. Eddie groaned and his leg sped up to an impossibly quick pace. Growing more restless with every passing second, Eddie jumped up from his bed and practically ran to his window. He looked hopefully out onto the dark street. 

Just as Eddie started to turn away from the window, he heard a faint _tap tap tap._ Eddie whipped back toward the window. This time, he saw the tall, lanky boy standing on the street. Eddie smiled to himself and quickly grabbed his bag. He opened the window as quietly as he could and put his right leg through it. Eddie took one last look at his bedroom. No doubt, when the sun rises, his mother would be sitting on the bed, probably crying and calling the cops. Eddie tried to find sympathy in his heart, but came up empty as he thought about the manipulative woman that damn near ruined his life. 

Eddie looked away from his bedroom and back to the boy on the street who felt more like home to Eddie than the house that he lived in all of his life. Eddie climbed fully out of the window and carefully closed it behind him. Then he jumped off the ledge and landed safely on the grass. The boy walked toward Eddie, smiling. 

"Sucks I won't be able to give Mrs. K some goodbye sex," Richie said, grinning from ear to ear. "I don't know what she'll do without this rockin' bod." Richie gestured to himself. Eddie rolled his eyes and lightly pushed Richie's shoulder.

"Shut it, Trashmouth." Eddie tried and failed to fight off his smile. Richie's grin was infectious and Eddie was prone to disease.

Eddie and Richie just stood there, smiling at each other like idiots. 

"Ready?" Richie asked. Eddie nodded and they both turned toward the street. 

Eddie instinctively reached out and grabbed Richie's left arm, causing them both to blush. Then they looked at each other. Both boys' eyes were tired and anxious, but excited all the same. Richie gave Eddie a reassuring smile and they started walking down the street. Eddie held his bag in one hand and Richie's arm in the other. Eddie noticed that Richie's bag was hanging off of his right shoulder. 

Eddie's heart felt lighter with every step they took. Eddie, still holding onto Richie, smiled as they walked farther away from his house.

...

Richie and Eddie were almost to the barrens. The walk had been comfortably quiet. Richie was usually never quiet but this was a special occasion. Richie and Eddie finally reached the little clearing. They both smiled fondly at the sight of the makeshift dam that they had built a while back. 

They quickly found the clubhouse; it was muscle memory at this point as they have all walked to the clubhouse thousands of times before. Eddie climbed down into the little underground room that Ben had built. Ben had a real knack for architecture that he could've explored further if they had continued with school. Eddie was closely followed by Richie who completely disregarded the ladder and just jumped down instead. 

The room would have been too dark to see in if there hadn't been a few candles lit in the middle of the almost full circle of people. Eddie and Richie sat next to each other, finishing the circle. 

"Hey g-guys," Bill welcomed Richie and Eddie. 

"Took you long enough," Stan scoffed, rolling his eyes. To anyone else, Stan's words would have come off as mean, but the losers knew that although he was annoyed 99% of the time, there was never any harm behind the sarcastic boy's words. 

"We were too busy fu-" Richie started but was cut off by Eddie slapping his arm. 

"Beep Beep, Rich." Eddie squeaked. 

The losers sat in silence for a moment before Richie suddenly got up, pulling Eddie up with him. 

"What the fuck?" Eddie questioned as he was dragged along behind Richie. 

"Rich, where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it, Bev."

"You're going to pull Eddie's arm off, Rich." Mike laughed as he spoke.

Richie then plopped down onto the hammock that hung in the back of the room and pulled Eddie on top of him. Eddie laughed as he fell on Richie. Richie's heart swelled at the sound. Eddie's head rested on Richie's chest. He let Richie's steady heartbeat calm his nerves. Their legs and arms were tangled together.

Richie and Eddie had laid in this hammock together many times before, but this was different. This was going to be the last time. No more loud loser's club parties that ended in Richie and Eddie cuddled up together in the hammock as they talked to the others about anything and everything. No more lazy days spent at the quarry and lounging in the clubhouse. Eddie couldn't help but think that he would rather be here, wrapped up in Richie's arms, than anywhere else in the world... not that he would ever admit to that out loud. But all good things were bound to come to an end. Plus, they were just leaving the town, not each other. They would still be the losers no matter where they were. Eddie smiled and closed his eyes.

"For old time's sake," Richie said to the losers. The rest of them chuckled lightly and silence fell again.

A moment passed before anyone said anything. Bill spoke up first, the natural born leader that he was. 

"We b-better get g-g-going pretty soon." Bill looked at each of the losers before he stood up, offering a hand to Ben who sat next to him. 

The losers got up one by one, Richie and Eddie were last. 

"Well," Bev spoke, "I'm gonna miss this place."

"Yeah, I just hope that the next group of kids to stumble upon this place are losers just like us," said Mike, looking around.

"They will be," Ben reassured the rest of the group, surprisingly confident. 

Stan furrowed his eyebrows. Mike cocked his head to the side.

"Why's that Ben?" Bev spoke quietly, moving toward Ben.

Ben looked at Bev and instantly smiled. He blushed under her curious gaze. 

"It's just," Ben sighed thoughtfully, "this place was built as a sort of... refuge. I made it for us as an escape. An escape from our parents. From the bullies at school, and from..." His voice trailed off at the last one. "I just think- I _know_ that whoever finds this place next will be just as desperate for an escape as we were. I can't really explain it."

The rest of the losers smiled widely at Ben. Bev moved closer to Ben and gently touched his arm. "Thanks, Ben."

Ben's blush was clearly visible despite the dark room.

Everyone looked around the small underground room. Memories flooded back to them, but no tears were in sight. Then Bill turned toward the ladder. 

"Wait."

The losers all turned their heads to look back at Richie. He picked up his bag off the floor and rummaged in it, looking for something. 

"Rich, what are you-" Eddie was cut off by Richie shushing him. 

Richie finally found whatever he was looking for. The losers were confused when they saw a can in his hand. Richie plastered a shit eating grin on his face. He loudly shook the bottle and threw the cap off. Then he grabbed a candle and held it up to the large wall in the back. Richie then started to spray the wall with what looked like black paint. 

Richie finally stepped back and revealed his work. The losers smiled as they read what was written.

**WELCOME TO THE LOSERS CLUB**

Then Richie put the cap back on the can and grabbed a different one out of his bag. He turned to the wall once again and wrote a large red **V** over the S. Eddie laughed as he realized what Richie had written. The losers laughed as well, finally figuring out where the reference was from. Although it was still a sore subject for the losers, they were still able to joke about it with each other.

Then Richie shoved all his stuff back in his bag and blew out all the candles as he walked toward the group. Bill was the first to climb up the ladder. Everyone followed him. Mike was the last one out. They all left the clubhouse for the last time.

After everyone got out, Ben covered the whole with a large, flat piece of wood. The losers all gathered leaves and sticks to cover up the wood. Satisfied with their work, the losers walked toward Bill's van that he received on his 16th birthday. Richie slung an arm around a blushing Eddie's shoulders as they went.

Bill got into the driver's seat as he was the only one with a license and Ben sat in the passenger. Stan and Mike got into the back. Richie, Eddie, and Bev piled into the middle seats. 

Bill started the car and they drove straight to the quarry. The car pulled into the dirt road that led to the bottom of the cliff. Bill parked the car and everyone got out, leaving their bags behind. Sighing, they all looked toward the familiar hill. Then they started their last journey up to the top of the quarry.

The walk up to the top was easy and nostalgic. The losers laughed as they all relayed the memories they had here. Mike recounted the time that Richie lost a bet and was forced to carry Eddie all the way up the hill. As they passed by a certain large tree Stan cackled and brought up the time that he caught Bill making out with some girl behind it. Bill blushed and rolled his eyes. _It was one time, Stanley!_

When the losers finally reached their destination, they were all out of breath due to laughing so hard. The sky had brightened significantly since they left the clubhouse. The boys all stepped up to the ledge, looking out at the purple and pink smeared sky. The sun was about to rise. 

The boys all looked toward Beverly who was standing behind them. She smiled at her best friends. 

"Sissies," Bev joked as she ran past them, jumping off the cliff fully clothed as they didn't want to have to walk back up the hill. The boys smiled at the nostalgia of when they first bonded that rushed into their minds. 

Richie suddenly picked Eddie up, bridal style. "Let's do this, Eds."

Eddie wiggled in Richie's grasp. "Rich! Let me down! And don't call me Eds!"

Richie just held onto Eddie tighter and jumped off the cliff. Followed by Bill, Mike, Stan, then Ben.

Once they resurfaced, Eddie hit Richie on the head, but they were both laughing. The losers played chicken and splashed around like always. By all means, the losers should have been teary eyed, crying, and hugging, but instead, they were doing the opposite of that. They laughed together as they sat in a lopsided circle on the rocks to dry off. 

"I'm going to miss this place," Stan chuckled, "but, _fuck_ , I can't wait to get out of this town."

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Staniel," said Richie.

Eddie grinned and Richie put his arm around him. Eddie leaned his head against Richie's shoulder. 

"Hopefully Eds here can fill my mouth back up with something better than words." Eddie rolled his eyes but didn't move away.

The other losers just laughed and said, "beep beep, Trashmouth."

The losers were quiet for a bit longer. The sun was just above the horizon. 

"Should we g-go over the p-p-plan again?"

The others pondered this for a moment. "Yes, please," said Eddie, the boy was always filled with anxiety.

Bill went over the plan again as everyone else chipped in, confirming details. They were going to head west, the only direction they could go coming from Maine. Money wasn't too big of a problem for them since all seven of them had collected money for the past three years. From birthdays to part-time jobs, everything was saved. Mike held onto all of the money, the most responsible of the losers. 

Each of the losers carried a map that was marked with the same route. They would head through New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, then they would stop in Indiana for a couple of weeks. After Indiana they were going to head up through Michigan and to Wisconsin. They planned to go to every state, stopping at one to stay at for a little bit before moving on. They decided to do this until they found a place to live at for more than just a few weeks. For each state, there was a place marked to meet up at, just in case they accidentally got separated. And just in case they were forced to separate, Richie, Bill, and Eddie would go together and Ben, Bev, Mike, and Stan would go together. 

They were going to practically live in Bill's van. They were only going to go to stores in pairs of two so as to not draw too much unwanted attention. At states that they would stop in for a few weeks, like Indiana, they would try to find jobs so they wouldn't run out of cash.

After they were all dried off, they went back to the car. They sat in the same positions as last time.

Bill turned to look at all of them. "Ready?" he questioned, a grin on his face. Everyone looked at each other with wide smiles and a mischievous look in their eyes. 

"Fuck yeah!" Richie shouted. The losers broke out into laughter as Bill turned to the road and the car started to move. The car picked up speed as Ben turned up the radio and rolled down the windows. The cool, late summer wind blew through the car and whipped at their hair. The sky was bright now. Everyone shouted off-key lyrics to Africa by ToTo. Laughter and excitement and anticipation buzzed throughout the car. Richie stuck his head out of the window and yelled at the top of his lungs. His hair looked like a bird's nest as he sat back down. 

They approached the welcome to Derry sign. All of them flipped it off as they cruised past.

The loser's were finally at home, laughing and screaming without a care in the world. A weight was lifted off their shoulders as they left Derry behind. The losers were finally where they wanted to be. They were finally free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave any suggestions and feel free to correct any mistakes! Kudos are appreciated!!!! Sorry this chapter is kind of boring but It'll be good soon. I'm planning on making this a really long fic. This chapter wasn't that long but they will get longer as the story goes on.
> 
> Also please comment if the plan doesn't make any sense. I tried to make it as simple as possible but it kind of got messy.


	2. The party goes shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now set in Hawkins, Indiana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH!! I'm legit soo happy that you guys like the story so far. Now that I have somewhat of an audience, I will be a lot more motivated to write so keep an eye out for new chapters!

The party, a group of four boys and two girls, lounged around lazily in Mike's basement. The chill atmosphere relaxed the group. Max and El sat on the floor and talked about random things that came to their minds. Every once in a while, they would giggle at something. Lucas laid next to Max, playing with her long red hair. Dustin and Will sat at the table, engaged in an intense game of cards.

Mike loved days like these. Days where they could act like teenagers and just hang out. Even though it's been three years, Mike was still endlessly grateful for mundane moments such as laying around in his basement, doing absolutely nothing. He finally felt free. Free of the terror that they had experienced so long ago. Free to go and do whatever they wanted. Free to just be normal. Well, maybe not normal. They were still nerds, no doubt. And one of them even had telekinesis. But that was beside the point. 

Mike felt like the worst was behind them.

"We should play a game," Max said excitedly.

Mike groaned and sat up from where he was laying on the couch. El got up from the floor and sat next to Mike. She looked at him and Mike relaxed in her presence. Max rolled her eyes and demanded, "well what do you want to do, Wheeler?"

El tore her gaze from Mike and settled it on Max. "We could watch a movie?" she suggested. 

"Yeah and we could go to the store to buy snacks first!" Dustin added, excited by the prospect of food. 

Lucas nodded and then said, "Max?"

She smiled back at Lucas. "Sure. Will?"

"Ok. Mike?"

Everyone looked at Mike. He sighed and nodded. 

"Yay!" El jumped up off the couch and dragged Mike up with her.

The party stood up and followed them up the stairs.

"Mom! We're going to the store!" Mike shouted. 

"Ok, honey! Be careful!" A voice called back from upstairs. The party left the house. Mike and El got on one bike and Lucas and Max got on another. Dustin and Will got on their own bikes. They took off down the street.

Silence hung over the town as the sun set. The air started to chill. Will took in a deep breath of the fresh breeze. He could hear his friends laughing and yelping as they whipped down the road. No car or person in sight. 

"Wow," Will called out to his friends, "look at the sunset!" They all smiled and looked at the beautiful array of pinks and yellows. 

El rested her head on Mike's back. She grinned as she listened to her friends argue about a movie. She closed her eyes and let the breeze calm her. Perfection seemed to be the only way to describe this moment. Her friends were laughing and enjoying themselves. Three years ago, it seemed as if she would never get to just be a teenager. But here she was. Sitting on the back of her boyfriend's bike, chuckling at her friends' bickering, and riding down the empty street. It seemed as if the whole town belonged to them.

"Hey, guys!" Dustin yelled over the wind.

"Yeah?" Max looked over at Dustin from the back of Lucas' bike.

"Whoever gets to the store first gets to pick out the movie!" Dustin stood up on his pedals to go faster and took off. Will closely trailed behind him. 

"Fuck you! That's so not fair!" Mike screamed at Dustin. 

"Yeah! We have ladies to weigh us down!" added Lucas.

Max scoffed and hit Lucas on the back of the head. 

"Wait, that's not what I meant!"

"Whatever you say, stalker."

As they pulled up to the store, Dustin and Will practically fell off their bikes and ran up to the store. Mike stopped his bike and got off, rolling his eyes. Mike followed Dustin and Will inside, heading for the candy aisle. He took his time walking to the back of the decently sized shop. He watched as Lucas, El, and Max ran past him, joining the others. Then Mike walked past the medical section where he found two boys arguing about-

"N-no, Eddie. We d-do not need ANOTHER first aid kit," the taller boy stuttered. 

Mike curiously watched the two strange boys. New people were very uncommon in Hawkins. Will walked up to Mike and started to say something but suddenly stopped, noticing the boys that Mike was watching. 

"But what if we use up the first one? You know how Richie is. He'll probably pull some dumb shit and break his arm. Then we will need another one!" the short boy, apparently Eddie, snapped. 

The tall boy was wearing a flannel and blue jeans. Eddie wore a pink polo and jeans that had a rainbow striped patch on it's pocket. Eddie flung his arms around wildly as he argued.

Then the first boy turned and locked eyes with Mike. His gaze lingered on Mike, his brows furrowed. He opened his mouth to say something, but Eddie beat him to it. 

"Richie?"

Mike shifted uncomfortably. "Who the hell is Richie?"

The two boys just stood there, staring at Mike, dumbfounded. Confusion radiated off them. Eddie turned and looked at his companion. The tall boy just shrugged and shook his head.

The tall boy turned his attention back to Mike. Then his gaze slid off of Mike and focused on Will. Will blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit that he picked up after... well, he's been doing it for three years now.

"Bill, let's get out of here."

The boy, Bill, nodded, not looking away from Will. Then they both walked away, paid, and left. 

"That was..." Will started. 

"Fucking weird?"

Will frowned. "Yeah."

Mike and Will left the isle and caught back up with their friends. 

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Max questioned, noticing the confused expression on Mike's face. 

Will answered her. "There were two boys back there that we didn't recognize. I think the names were Bill and..."

"Eddie," continued Mike. 

"Yeah. Then when they noticed us, Eddie thought Mike was someone named Richie."

Dustin looked up from the bag of chips he was staring at. "Weird."

"And you don't recognize the name at all?" El questioned. She leaned on one of the shelves, fiddling with a box of skittles.

"Nope."

Lucas chuckled to himself and said, "could be your long lost twin. Richie, a boy stolen away from his twin and his parents by some evil witch who hid him in her tower, away from civilization. Maybe she's come back to get you too." Lucas jumped on Mike, ruffling his hair. Mike pushed Lucas off of him. He rolled his eyes, grumbling and fixing his hair.

"I think I would know if I had a twin brother, dumbass."

"Well, maybe you should talk to your parents about this. Or maybe Nancy. She might tell you something," Dustin said. 

"Hypothetically, if I did have a twin, what makes you think that my parents would tell me now, after all these years?"

"That's why I suggested Nancy, dickhead."

"Hey, don't worry, it's just some kid that looks like you," El reassured him.

Mike smiled at her. It seemed as if she always knew, like she could read his mind. Mike knew that her powers didn’t stretch that far, but it was strange. The way she gave him a reassuring smile or squeezed his hand as soon as he felt unsure. Her knowing looks and her comforting gaze that seemed to come at exactly the right moment.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Although all of the evidence pointed to it being nothing to worry about, Mike couldn't help but pay attention to the way that his stomach twisted when the words “twin” or “brother” were said. He couldn’t help but feel like something was amiss.

The party left the store with arms full of candy and chips. They secured the bags onto the handles of their bikes and rode back to Mike's house. When they got back, Dustin picked out a movie and they all sat in the basement, shoveling food into their mouths. Mike and El were cuddled up on the couch. Dustin and Will sat next to them. Lucas and Max were sprawled out on the floor. 

When the movie finished, the party still buzzed with the excitement that came whenever they hung out together.

"Mike, do your parents have any alcohol?" Max suddenly whispered. 

"What? No, we are not stealing alcohol from my parents."

"Ugh, put it to a vote?"

Mike looked at his friends. None of them said anything. 

"All in favor of stealing some alcohol?" Max said, looking at each of them. The room filled with silence. Then Lucas put his hand up. Then Dustin did the same. 

"What the hell?" Mike hissed, "we... we can't!"

"Three to three." Max looked at El and Will. "We'll be careful. We'll just take a few sips and fill it back up with water. It'll be fiiiine."

Will looked at Mike, then back at Max. Normally Will always took Mike's side. Whenever the group argued about what to do or where to go, Will’s hand was the first to be raised in support of Mike. However, this time, Will took his own feelings into account. Nothing bad could happen if they just stayed in the basement, right? He slowly put his hand up. Mike's jaw dropped as he looked toward Will. 

"Look, Mike. You don't have to do it, you can look after us, make sure we don't do any stupid shit." Dustin smiled at Mike. 

Mike clenched his jaw and looked at El. "You want to try to talk some sense into them?"

El smirked at him. The smirk slowly turned into a mischievous grin as she jumped up from the couch, grabbing Max's hand and pulling her up the stairs. They both giggled as they went up. 

Two minutes later, the girls came back, giggling louder than they were before. They walked up and stood right in front of the four boys, who were now sitting on the couch. They looked at each other with knowing grins. Then El moved her arms from behind her back. In her hand was a bottle of beer, straight from Mike's dad's stash. 

Tipsy laughter and silly games filled the next hour or so. El laid on the floor, propped up on her elbows. Max was laying on the floor as well with her head in El's lap. 

The laughter died down, replaced by a comfortable silence. "Do you guys ever think about leaving Hawkins?" Will spoke. Nobody said anything for a few moments, deep in thought. 

"No," Lucas broke the silence. He took a moment before elaborating, "I mean, after we graduate, yes, but not before. Why would we? We have our families... and each other. But I count you guys as part of my family."

Another pause.

"I guess just because of everything that... that happened. Before." Will looked down at his hands. A sorrowful atmosphere settled over the party. 

Mike took a deep breath. "That was in the past. I still love Hawkins, despite the tragedy. It's not like the whole town is cursed."

"I read something somewhere about a town that seemed like it was cursed. A ton of shit happened there. Like murders and stuff. Mostly kids, too. I think it was in Maine," Dustin said, changing the course of the conversation completely. 

"That's weird. Did they ever find out what happened?" Max questioned, the previous topic of discussion was forgotten. 

"Nope. Someday I'm going to visit that town."

Max scoffed. "Why would you ever want to go to a cursed town?"

Dustin shrugged and took another sip of the beer. Coughing he said, "Curiosity."

They all laughed loudly and started talking animatedly about their plans for the weekend.

Will sat back and watched his friends, who were now discussing going to the arcade tomorrow. Will only half listened to the conversation. He couldn't seem to get that boy out of his mind. Bill. His straight brown hair. His long limbs. His deep blue eyes. His blushing face. His soft smile. His nose. His mouth. His-

"You okay, Will?" El’s voice cut through his thoughts. 

Will nodded and looked away.

...

It was well past midnight and most of the party was asleep. El, after having won a bet, slept peacefully on the couch. The rest of the party laid on the floor, curled up in mountains of pillows and blankets. 

Will was the only one awake. He stared at the ceiling and listened to the steady breathing of his friends. His family. He sat up and looked around the dark room. He could only make out a few objects. The couch that his friends have sat on countless times watching countless movies. The table that they had played years and years worth of board games and D&D. 

Will's stomach grumbled as he laid back down. He tried to fall asleep but had little success. Without permission, his mind wandered back to Bill. 

He wouldn’t hate running into that boy again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short, I hope you don't mind. Also I would have gotten this out earlier but my computer crashed. Fortunately I always back up my work, but it still caused a delay. I'll hopefully update quicker in the future. However, you can probably expect a chapter at least once a week. Thank you!


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